Are these not the happiest little cookies you’ve seen in a long time?

The Kiddo and I were having lunch with our friend Sarah, and we wanted to send her back to college with some goodies. I hadn’t tried this recipe before, but it looked like something Kiddo could easily help with, so we gave it [...]]]>

Are these not the happiest little cookies you’ve seen in a long time?

The Kiddo and I were having lunch with our friend Sarah, and we wanted to send her back to college with some goodies. I hadn’t tried this recipe before, but it looked like something Kiddo could easily help with, so we gave it a shot. Huge success! The original recipe called for chocolate icing over the cherries, but they were so colorful and pretty I didn’t have the heart to cover them up.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2  cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries

To make the cuteness:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Cream together butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy; add egg and vanilla and mix well till completely incorporated
3. Stir together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; add mixture to butter and sugar mixture and stir until combined
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Make a dent in the middle of each cookie with your thumb
5. Drain the cherries, remove any stems and cut cherries in half; put one half cherry in the middle of each cookie
6. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes; cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

I used my very smallest cookie scoop to shape these and got 40 cookies. Sarah reports these, with coffee, are the breakfast of champions.

Okay, these were meant to be like pop tarts, only with pumpkin pie filling. They turned out to be so much more flaky and tender and decadent than that that I’m not entirely sure what to call them! Other than, ahem, gone.

Moving on.

The long and the short of it: to make these I made pie [...]]]>

Okay, these were meant to be like pop tarts, only with pumpkin pie filling. They turned out to be so much more flaky and tender and decadent than that that I’m not entirely sure what to call them! Other than, ahem, gone.

Moving on.

The long and the short of it: to make these I made pie crust from Ruhlman’s Ratio app on my iPhone, and a pretty standard pumpkin pie filling from Libby’s. I cut the pie crust into rectangles, put some cooked pumpkin pie filling on one, then a little egg wash around the edges, then put another rectangle on top and crimped the edges closed with a fork. A little more egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar on top, then baked at 400 for about 10 minutes.

To make these super fast you can absolutely use refrigerated, pre-made pie crust. Heck, you can buy an already-made pumpkin pie (hello, Publix bakery?) and scoop out the filling — see how fast this just got? Life is short; do what it takes. Here’s the longer way around, for those who are game:

You will need for the pumpkin pie filling:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated (not condensed) milk

You will need for the pie crust:

• 340 grams (2.4 cups) of flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 227 grams (1 cup) of butter
• 113 grams (1/2 cup) cold water

You will also need:

• One beaten egg + a little bit of water to make an egg wash

First make the pie filling:

1. Mix together sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves
2. In a larger bowl beat eggs, then stir in pumpkin and sugar & spice mix, then slowly stir in milk
3. Bake in a buttered glass dish at 325 F for about one hour, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Since this is technically a custard, I set my glass dish in a larger dish, then filled the larger dish with enough water to come about halfway up the sides of the smaller dish (a water bath — aren’t we fancy?)
4. Leave in the water bath to cool, then move to the fridge after an hour or so

On to the pie crust:

1. Using a food processor, a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the flour, salt and sugar till the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal, then pulse or cut in water till flour is just moistened; refer back to here to see what that will look like (i.e. it will not look like pie crust yet). Shape into a disc, wrap in saran wrap and stash it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, but up to a day
2. Retrieve your pumpkin pie filling and make little pies! Go crazy. Use cookie cutter shapes, make rectangles, use biscuit cutters and make half moons — whatever entertains you. For each roughly pop-tart-sized rectangle I made I put in about 2 Tbsp. of chilled filling, but you can kind of eyeball it. The good news is that it’s not runny so it’s not going to go everywhere. Use a little egg wash around the edges before you seal them closed, then put a little more egg wash on the top and sprinkle sugar over it just to be pretty. Poke a couple holes in the top for steam to escape
3. Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 400F for about 10 minutes, but just keep an eye on them — you want lightly browned
4. Enjoy with coffee and remind yourself that this is a breakfast pastry containing pumpkin, which is a vegetable; you’re totally not eating pie for breakfast

It’s been at least a week since I posted a recipe with Nutella! What am I thinking? I can stop anytime I want. Ahem.

ANYWAY!

This will shock you, but this is a ridiculously easy recipe; a riff on the also ridiculously easy shortbread two ways.

You will need:

My sweet friend Sarah has a love for Starbucks VIA. When Kiddo and I were getting a college care package together for her last week I was already planning some basic brownies…. and then I saw the VIA in the cabinet. Score! The result? Fudgy, caffeinated, rich chocolaty brownies. I, ahem, may have eaten one [...]]]>

My sweet friend Sarah has a love for Starbucks VIA. When Kiddo and I were getting a college care package together for her last week I was already planning some basic brownies…. and then I saw the VIA in the cabinet. Score! The result? Fudgy, caffeinated, rich chocolaty brownies. I, ahem, may have eaten one before I sent the rest off. Just so I could report back to y’all, obviously.

You will need:

• 1 stick butter
• 1-2 tbsp chocolate chips
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 pack VIA coffee or a Tbsp. or so of espresso powder

To launch yourself into chocolate heaven:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Spray a 9 inch square pan with nonstick spray, then lay in a piece of parchment paper just wide enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and long enough so the paper hangs off  both sides of the pan by a good few inches (you’re making a sling for your brownies). Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray
3. Melt the butter with the chocolate chips (I did this in the microwave), then add in sugar and cocoa, mixing well. Add dry ingredients and eggs and mix again
4. Spread into your prepared pan and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted halfway between the middle and the edge of the pan comes out clean
5. Remove the pan from the oven and wait 5 minutes, then use the sling to pull the brownies out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut the brownies with a plastic knife (I don’t know why this works, but it keeps the brownies from getting torn up), then use the sling again to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

I got a new shortbread pan from King Arthur Flour last week and it included a recipe booklet. I had NO idea shortbread was so easy to make! The Yankee has taken several batches to work already, with more requested. Check this out!

Ingredients

Apples. Oats. Chocolate chips. How can this possibly go wrong?

It CAN’T.

My friend Vanessa came over while I was in the middle of winging these today, and they turned out to be the perfect dessert after our lunch of chicken and dumplings.  They’re based on Rick Bayless’ recipe for Grandma’s Moist Apple Cake from Rick and [...]]]>

Apples. Oats. Chocolate chips. How can this possibly go wrong?

It CAN’T.

My friend Vanessa came over while I was in the middle of winging these today, and they turned out to be the perfect dessert after our lunch of chicken and dumplings.  They’re based on Rick Bayless’ recipe for Grandma’s Moist Apple Cake from Rick and Lanie’s Excellent Kitchen Adventures. I tweaked and added and subtracted and adjusted and came up with these. And I’m not sorry.

You can add a chocolate glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar over the top of this, but I think they’re pretty great just as is. Let me know what you think!

This is an old recipe from the Homesteads. Don’t you just love the name? Being a kind of angel food cake it should, obviously, be made in an angel food cake pan. I had a moment of mommy brain and made it in a Bundt cake pan, though, and it turned out super yummy regardless.

You [...]]]>

This is an old recipe from the Homesteads. Don’t you just love the name? Being a kind of angel food cake it should, obviously, be made in an angel food cake pan. I had a moment of mommy brain and made it in a Bundt cake pan, though, and it turned out super yummy regardless.

You will need:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 7 Tbsp water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon extract

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Beat egg whites until stiff; set aside
3. Beat egg yolks and water for 5 minutes; add sugar and beat 5 minutes; add flour, salt and lemon extract and beat 5 minutes; fold in egg whites
4. Bake at 325 in ungreased tube pan for 30-40 minutes; turn upside down to cool then run a knife around the edge to free from the pan
5. Slice and mail to your sweet friend/Kiddo’s babysitter who has had the nerve to go back to college (this step optional)

First, I must apologize if my pictures look… off for a little while. My favorite lens met its maker on Christmas Eve. Well maybe not its maker, but at least the hardwood floor:

<<observed moment of silence>>

ANYHOO. The tart.

I’ve been wanting to try this tart dough recipe for a while now because who ever heard of [...]]]>

First, I must apologize if my pictures look… off for a little while. My favorite lens met its maker on Christmas Eve. Well maybe not its maker, but at least the hardwood floor:

<<observed moment of silence>>

ANYHOO. The tart.

I’ve been wanting to try this tart dough recipe for a while now because who ever heard of melting the butter first? I figured it was definitely worth a shot. And it was great! A totally new way to make it, and totally fun to play with.

Definitely read through David’s instructions before making this. He is, obviously, the expert here, and has lots of great information in that post.

I weighed my dough ingredients, a la David:

• 90 g (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola works great)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 150 g (5oz, or 1 slightly-rounded cup) flour

Plus:

• 4 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup craisins

Now the fun part!

1. Preheat oven to 410F
2. Put butter, oil, water, sugar and salt in an oven-safe bowl
3. Place in preheated oven and let cook for 15 minutes till mixture is bubbling and the butter is starting to brown a bit at the edges
4. Remove from oven (carefully! It will sizzle) and dump in flour (mixture will sizzle more here), stirring quickly to combine. As David says, it’s not usual practice to have a hot mixing bowl on the counter so keep reminding yourself not to grab the bowl with your bare hand
5. Plop the dough into a tart pan or cast iron skillet (because, hey, any excuse to use cast iron) and pat it out a little with your spoon; wait for it to cool enough to handle, then use the heel of your hand and your fingers to gently press into place on the bottom and up the sides

At this point David recommends blind baking for 15 minutes, then cooling, then filling.

I hate blind baking.

For plan Erin:

1. Bump oven temperature up to 425F
2. Toss thinly sliced apples in lemon juice to prevent browning, then add in lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and Craisins; stir to evenly coat everything (I used my hands)
3. Spoon into unbaked dough and bake for 15 minutes at 425, then lower oven temp to 350F; cook for another 25-30 minutes or until apples are super soft and crust is browned
4. DO NOT CUT RIGHT AWAY. I know, I know. But you have to let it sit long enough for the juices to thicken up or it’ll just run everywhere
5. Cool, slice, then foist upon your neighbors to prevent yourself from eating all of it straight out of the pan

I am SO HAPPY with how this turned out!

I really wanted to make a clementine cake this year before they’re gone again, so I picked up a little crate then looked up a couple clementine cake recipes; what I found were flourless cakes involving springform pans, which I don’t own (oops). So I decided to [...]]]>

I am SO HAPPY with how this turned out!

I really wanted to make a clementine cake this year before they’re gone again, so I picked up a little crate then looked up a couple clementine cake recipes; what I found were flourless cakes involving springform pans, which I don’t own (oops). So I decided to take a different route and adapt an old Betty Crocker applesauce cake recipe to include clementines. It’s so good! The whole process makes your house smell amazing and the taste is incredible too!

Hi, I’m gushing.

Anyway. The prep for this involves cooking the clementines for a couple hours first so leave yourself ample cooking and cooling time. Now, gather up:

• 5 clementines
• 1 cups Craisins
• 2 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp. AP flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• sprinkle of allspice
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

And then:

1. Put the clementines in a pot and pour in enough cold water to cover; bring to a boil then cook at somewhere between a simmer and a boil for two hours; drain and cool, then halve the clementines and run them through a food processor (that’s right, the whole fruit) until you have a smooth puree
2. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a Bundt pan
3. Toss Craisins with 1 Tbsp. flour and set aside
4. In another bowl mix  remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; stir well and set aside
5. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer till light and fluffy, then add in eggs one at a time, mixing after each till well incorporated. Now alternate adding in the flour mixture and the pureed clementines until batter is smooth, then stir in floured Craisins
6. Spread batter evenly in Bundt pan (mixture will be a little thick) and bake at 350F until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes; cool on a rack then sprinkle with powdered sugar

I do hope y’all try this. Let me know what you think!

Last year I sweet talked a barista into selling me a bottle of peppermint syrup so I could have my own peppermint coffees at home. You know, for less than $6 a cup. This year [...]]]> This is another one of those “I can’t believe I ever spent money on this” sort of recipes. I love those!

Last year I sweet talked a barista into selling me a bottle of peppermint syrup so I could have my own peppermint coffees at home. You know, for less than $6 a cup. This year I thought I’d go one better and make it myself. As with so many things, it is ridiculously simple to make on your own. Your arsenal:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

I did this in the microwave in my trusty Pyrex but in a saucepan on the stove is fine too — just stir together the sugar and water and heat till the sugar dissolves, then stir in the peppermint extract (which, by the way, is STRONG STUFF; 1/4 tsp. is plenty).

You can also replace the peppermint extract with vanilla for quick and easy vanilla syrup.

That’s all, folks! Then add about a tablespoon to your coffee, hot chocolate or whatever floats your boat. Enjoy!